There have been rumors about this for quite sometime. And today, it's finally in the news.
Carly Simon
Watch out, "Lost" and "Survivor": NBC is bringing the original desert island castaway to primetime.Via
NBC has picked up "Robinson Crusoe," a drama series based on Daniel Defoe's classic novel, with a 13-episode order.
"Crusoe" reportedly came out of an unorthodox brainstorming idea of NBC's new chief Ben Silverman, who had asked his development team to generate a list of the most engaging stories ever told -- everything from "The Last of the Mohicans" to "Sleeping Beauty." "Crusoe" was at the top of that list. Also high on it and under serious consideration at the network are the tales of David and Goliath and of Jekyll and Hyde, sources said.
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"Crusoe" will be an "adrenaline-charged version" of the 1719 novel with a contemporary feel and voice, including a 21st century take on race relations, but it will be a period drama, taking place in the 17th century when the book is set.
"It's part 'MacGyver,' part contemporary morality tale about race and personal discovery, part comedy and part 'Castaway' meets 'Survivor,' " Silverman said.
The most measured performance of the night for me was Ramiele's, who I shall put in the #1 spot for the evening. Hers was a big song, but she didn't (to quote Randy) "slay" on it as one is expected to attack a song like, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. If she did, it would have otherwise been a performance you would see/hear done on just about every other lounge act here. Yet Ramiel somehow managed to swiftly nail it. It was understated, controlled, measured. It wasn't a perfect rendition, but it did make an impact. Her candor about admitting that hair and make-up was the best part of the show tells me this tiny girl means business on stage...but can manage to relax while off it. Now, there's someone who really enjoys what she is doing.
With a fairly large gap following my first choice, Brooke would have to be my second best pick for the evening. Of course, this comes from someone who admits to liking Yeager's Moon River yesterday. What can I say? I'm also all about the sappy, cutesy, goody goody sunshines and rainbows. David Cook (also from yesterday) did the rock version, Brooke did the "happy" version. Both versions I have enjoyed on different levels. And I would like to see that kind of variety on Idol this year.
Paula Abdul's "drunken" state is already a running gag on Idol. It didn't bother me before; but I don't know what is up with her this season. She sounds and looks ten times worse.
The fourth spot could go to the other David (Hernandez), if only he learns to relax a little. On TV, he comes around as "thinking while performing", a phrase I've heard said so many times on Idol and it just makes me look out for those performers who do it (thinking). Which means, David is trying way too hard and not nearly getting it right. Simon and I are on the same page when it comes to him. What was that song he sang, again? It was a love song, wasn't it? I think he was trying to convey "intensity" and "deepness" but the vibe I got from him was stalker - trying - to - plot - my - death. Those looks he did for the camera were piercing, alright. But if a guy was singing a love song for me that way, it would make me really uncomfortable. And worried for my safety. Fortunately, he does have great vocals. David H's voice is cool and smooth. So, I'm still rooting for him, regardless of what I just said. Hah.
Jason Castro and his guitar is a good contender as well, so I'll put him in 5th. I'm seeing not just a singer but an artist, who may draw his own niche in this competition. Good. I like contestants better like that.
Danny Noriega, the guy (gal?) with chock full of personality, might just slide into Top 6, too. Because the public wants someone they can mock on TV and they might vote to keep him till they tire of him (a lot of people loved to hate Sanjaya). Already, Noriega's getting the brunt of it (the mockery) on other communities I visit. And I feel sorry for him because, to be fair, he does have talent.
I can't really say reviving this series into a TV Movie was a good or bad idea.
I haven't seen it yet (I recently discovered what sleep is like and it is heavenly!), but I did a run-through and I think I will be enjoying this later. Not feeling the lead characters though but we'll see."Knight Rider" averaged a 7.1 rating/11 share according to Fast National Ratings from Nielsen Media Research that showed there are still some fans willing to give this 1980s franchise from Glen A. Larson a chance. That includes a 6.9/10 in its first hour, second only to "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on ABC, and an even stronger 7.3/12, easily winning the 10 p.m. timeslot over ABC favorite "Brothers & Sisters," which struggled despite the "Extreme Makeover" lead-in, according to Zap2it.
The first hour of "Knight Rider" beat "Cold Case" on CBS as well as comedies like "Family Guy" and "American Dad" on Fox. The second hour also beat the network premiere of Showtime's "Dexter," which earned a 5.2/9, just half a ratings point behind "Brothers & Sisters."
All of this despite a very weak lead-in for the NBC show from "American Gladiators." The first hour of that series season finale earned just a 3.2/5, taking fourth place behind "60 Minutes" on CBS, "America's Funniest Home Videos" on ABC, and NASCAR coverage on Fox. While "Gladiators" did improve in the next hour, it was only by a ratings point likely pulling in some of the Daytona 500 crowd from Fox. It was enough to give NBC a second place showing for the hour, but was still behind ABC, but ahead of "Big Brother 9" on CBS and animated comedies on Fox.
On top of its strong overall ratings, "Knight Rider" also easily captured adults between the ages of 18 to 49, a key demographic for advertisers, leading NBC to a demo win over the other network, despite finishing third overall in households (while finishing second in total viewers ahead of CBS). | Source
The long description: Eli Stone is a drama series about lawyer who experiences a life-changing moment, when he begins to hallucinate about people, places and situations, causing him to re-examine the choices he makes in life.
After some hesitation, I caught up with the second episode of Lipstick Jungle early today. If you've been reading this blog long, you probably know how much I loathe the pilot episode. Between my first viewing of the show last year and today, something must have happened. Because Lipstick Jungle, while not exactly a show I would put in the "great" category, has improved on the second episode. Those tweaking and changes they did to the show paid off, I guess. It's either that or three other things 1) my taste have turned a notch lower; 2) the strike has forced me to tolerate and take in anything I can watch; 3) Cashmere Mafia, its twin of a series, is so much more loathesome.
SAG officials won't say when they might launch negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers to replace a contract that's set to expire June 30. But a burgeoning rapprochement with sister performers union AFTRA makes much more likely the prospect of informal talks with studio chiefs of the sort that led to WGA and DGA contract deals.
"We're always open to having discussions," SAG president Alan Rosenberg said Wednesday.
He declined to elaborate.
News Corp. COO Peter Chernin and Disney chief Robert Iger were the most hands-on in hashing out deal terms with the writers and directors, and many believe those executives or other top media bosses also will engage with the actors unions before their formal negotiations with the AMPTP. An affable and loquacious labor leader for all his reputed militancy, Rosenberg has held previous sit-downs with such executives as CBS Corp. topper Leslie Moonves and Warner Bros. chief Barry Meyer during his more than two years in office.
But until just last weekend, inter-guild squabbling threatened to complicate any dialogue between labor and management.
SAG and AFTRA seemed to be going down diverging paths as the calendar counts down toward a June 30 expiration of their current AMPTP agreements. Rosenberg and SAG national executive director Doug Allen were regularly chastising AFTRA for perceived incursions onto SAG turf, and the duo pushed the SAG board to order a membership referendum on breaking with a decades-long tradition of bargaining jointly with AFTRA.
Then the board reversed course Saturday, halting the referendum and underscoring an interest in negotiating jointly with AFTRA. Key considerations seemed to be opposition to sabre-rattling from SAG New York leaders and the tentative agreement secured by the WGA on early Saturday morning.
Also, top actors like George Clooney and others have started to speak out against any overtly confrontational approach to the upcoming contracts. So whether for reasons of political practicality or a genuine interest in getting started, it now appears contract talks of some sort might happen sooner rather than later.
Rosenberg is said to be still leaning toward a late spring date for launching formal negotiations. Yet informal talks with one or more studio chiefs could happen at any time now.
To goose the process, Clooney, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep and others have been strategizing over how to pressure Rosenberg into changing his thinking on the timing of formal discussions. For starters, the actors took out ads today in publications including The Hollywood Reporter.
Helpfully, SAG and AFTRA already have held several committee meetings on wage and working conditions issues. So should the A-listers succeed in getting SAG officials to launch negotiations by sometime next month, labor-side negotiators should be primed and ready to go.
On Wednesday, SAG's Allen issued a brief statement in response to press inquiries about the pressure from well-known guild members and the prospect of early negotiations with the AMPTP.
"Our ongoing member outreach has included, and will continue to include, conversations with high-profile television and movie actors, as well as input from our member-driven wages and working conditions committee meetings," the SAG exec said. "We are jointly conducting these wages and working conditions meetings with AFTRA (and) this process will conclude in the March. We will bargain with management at a time that will most benefit our members."
Did you like last night’s results? They weren’t kidding when they said this batch is the most talented lot, huh? It looks like it’s going to be a really tough competition this year. Most everyone I know (friends, family) has no clear favorites yet — because it’s so much harder to choose!
I usually take it with a grain of salt when someone from Idol makes a claim about this season being “the best yet” or having the “best batch of talented singers”. But for American Idol 7, I think I would have to buckle under and believe it. Last night’s Hollywood round did deliver some of really good talents and as a fan of the show (and of music), I’ve rounded up my favorites. Rumors are going around, these people have made it Top 24, too… | Click for my American Idol Top Choices this week.
Ellen Page is really the current favorite this season. She's scheduled to open Saturday Night Live. The show will be back on Feb 23, after a strike-imposed shutdown last November. No word on who the host will be but E! has reported Ellen will be there March 1st, a week after the Oscars, where she is nominated for Best Actress.
ABC Family, which carries Kyle XY and Greek, has already made a six-episode order for this yet untitled series, written by Brenda Hampton, who gave us 7th Heaven.
Fifteen-year-old Amy Nicholson, pregnant after having one uncomfortable sexual encounter with the school's Don Juan, Ricky, tries to figure out a way to deal with her dilemma, as all around her peers face the reality of their own sexual (or non-sexual) choices. Unable to face her loving but "nice" middle class parents, Amy confides in her best friends, Lauren and Madison, who are supportive but not too helpful, and struggles to deal with her feelings for Ricky at the same time she's being wooed by the sweet and possibly smitten Ben. | TV Guide
We begin – in true Abrams fashion -- on an airplane. Some mysterious fellow injects himself with a drug that causes his skin to melt. His skin melts someone else’s skin and their skin melts someone else’s skin and so on until no one’s got any skin left and the flight is nothing but monsterously deformed corpses.
At that same moment, our female lead Olivia Warren is having secret motel sex with her love, John Scott. Both are FBI agents and are forced to have this secret tryst to prevent their superiors from ripping apart their frowned-upon office romance.
John delivers one of the worst monologues ever committed to paper, confessing his true love and explaining why they must keep it secret at all costs.
"There was cheering for everything and standing ovation after standing ovation for all the leadership, especially Patric Verrone and Dave Young. There is no question in my mind that because of the atmosphere in that room this strike will be called off. There is no gearing for a fight. It's over."
WGAW President Patric Verrone announced that there would be a vote of the membership over the next 48 hours on whether or not to lift the strike. Presumably this vote will be done electronically. I'm told that Verrone said specifically that the decision to call off the strike, regardless of the WGA Negotiating Committee's or the WGAW Board's or WGAE Council's recommendation, was to be in the hands of the membership. Pending that outcome, the 10-day ballotting process for members to accept the tentative deal would begin. So Hollywood may get back to work by Wednesday. | Deadline Hollywood
House: Oh, my God. What are you two doing here? I just had a sudden yen for fusion.
House: Look, now she’s going to hit him in the face with your testicles.
